Last Labonair- Book 2

Chapter Eight: The River in Reverse

Elijah is laying on the bed in the hut. I walk over to the bed holding a glass. "Here, drink this." I say and he takes a drink of it and immediately starts coughing. "Forgive me, please." Elijah said as he leans back on the bed. I stand up setting the cup on the table. "It's okay." I take my sweater off. "Remind me to annihilate your brother once you're healthy." I say "Yes. Remind me to remind you to get in line." Elijah said "Doesn't help that we decided to shack up in the middle of a swamp, either." I say and I
open the door standing in the doorway but walk back inside when Elijah starts coughing again.

"Are you okay?" I ask walking over to him. "I'm fine. Please just return to your reading." Elijah said and I pick up the Bible. Well, I went through the whole thing. It's just a regular Bible with an entry in the family tree, that may or may not be me, but you know I've been a little busy worrying about you." I say "Hayley, please. This fever will make me unstable. Now, once the hallucinations begin, I'll start to see things. I will start to say things. You must leave me here." Elijah said "I'm not leaving you like this." I say

-time skip-

I'm on the deck looking at the lake when I hear Elijah groan in pain making me look over. Elijah kicks something over so I rush inside. "It's okay. It's okay." I say and I sit on the pillow putting Elijahs head in my lap. I put my hand on his forehead and I get pulled into a memory.

*Elijah's Memory*

In the memory I see a woman sitting in a bathtub. The woman is rubbing her body with a rag or a sponge thing.

*End of Elijah's Memory*

Elijah grabs my arms rubbing them. "Oh, Celeste." Elijah said and I realize that he thinks that I'm that woman so I quickly remove my hands from him. As he's realizing where he is I'm looking around the room. "Hayley, I'm sorry. I thought you were someone else." Elijah said "Celeste?" I ask "Yes." Elijah said "Whoever she was, she was smokin' hot." I say with a little laugh. "How- - Did I let you enter my thoughts?" Elijah moves to get up. "I'm not well. I should go. This is..." Elijah said before I interrupt him. "This is fine. Elijah, you're sick. I'm taking care of you." I say "We're being watched." Elijah said and I get up and go onto the window and I see that woman that ran away from us when Tyler brought me here. I walk out the door. "Hey! Hey!" I yell but the woman runs away. I look at the shack before looking at where the woman was.

-time skip-

I had the rag on Elijahs forehead but he inhaled sharply making me quickly pull my hand away. He starts babbling a little. I squeeze the water out of the rag. "Hayley, please. This fever. My mind is flooded with these torturous memories. You have to leave." Elijah said "What is your deal? You don't like people taking care of you?" I ask "There are consequences for those that care. I will not have you pay that price." Elijah said "So you're having weird retro sex dreams? Get over it. I'm staying." I say "What about our visitor? What does she want?" Elijah asked "I'm guessing she's the one that left the mystery Bible on the doorstep last night. Would be nice if she'd stick around long enough to tell me why." I say "Hayley, you came here to gather information about your family, not to play nursemaid to a vampire with a temperature. Please, find her. Learn what you can." Elijah said "No, I'm staying." I say

-time skip-

I'm sitting on the bed again with Elijahs head in my lap. The rag is on his forehead. "Celeste...Forgive me. I'm sorry." Elijah whispers before I'm once again pulled into one of his memories.

*Elijahs Memory*

Klaus and some men are standing in the middle of a field. Klaus and one of the men have their backs to each other. "A L'Outrance." Klaus counts as him and the man walks away from each other holding guns. "Huit, Sept, Six, Cinq, Quatre, Trois, Deux- -" Klaus and the man both turn around and shoot at one another. The shot that Klaus shot hit straight in the middle of the mans forehead. "Is that it? Is this the best New Orleans has to offer?" Klaus asked and the mans body is being drug away to join two more men's bodies. Elijahs walks up. "Brother, please. This is high folly. Is it not enough that you have slaughtered dozens in just these past several weeks?" Elijah asked "Well- -" Klaus starts to say but Elijah interrupts him. "Word of a city littered with bodies will surely travel the oceans. Do you want to bring our father upon us?" Elijah asked "Relax, brother. I've sent rumor that the bodies are a result of the witches seeking blood sacrifice for their rituals." Klaus said "You did what? Have you forgotten Celeste is one of those that you so recklessly pointed your finger at?" Elijah asked "Who's Celeste? Oh, yes, the witch you've been knocking around with. Well, fear not. Harlots are like rats in the quarter. You trip over one every step you take." Elijah quickly spins around and shoots Klaus with one of the guns. Klaus brings his finger back up from the wound and there's blood. "You care about her. Well, that is unfortunate. I hear they're rounding up the town's witches as we speak." Klaus said